PM Petkov thanked North Macedonia’s authorities for the detention of the perpetrator of the arson in the Bulgarian cultural centre in Bitola

I welcome the detention of the perpetrator of the arson of the cultural centre of the Macedonian Bulgarians in Bitola, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Kiril Petkov, wrote on the official page of the Council of Ministers in Facebook on June 7.

"I would like to thank the authorities in the Republic of North Macedonia and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski for their effective actions, which detected the arsonist as soon as possible. We will definitely not give in to provocations aimed at sabotaging relations with our neighbours," the Bulgarian Prime Minister said.

The arrest of the perpetrator was announced today on social media by Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia. According to Spasovski, the perpetrator has made a full confession of his act.

The arson attack on the front door of the office of “Ivan Mihailov” Cultural Centre in Bitola took place in the early hours of 4 June.